


5 Times The Doctor Lied and 5 Times He Didn't

by itsalongstory



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Crying, Episode: 2015 Xmas The Husbands of River Song, Episode: s02e13 Doomsday, Episode: s04e13 Journey's End, F/M, Fluff, Sad, Tears, but not really, some other episodes i can't think of, sorry - Freeform, the tiniest bit of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-05 13:35:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6706417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsalongstory/pseuds/itsalongstory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We all know about Rule #1. But does The Doctor ever decide it's best not to follow it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	5 Times The Doctor Lied and 5 Times He Didn't

**Author's Note:**

> enjoy and i'd love to hear your thoughts! oh, and sorry about the angst.

Lies

1.

“What’re you gonna do?” Rose asked, hair whipping around her tear-soaked face in the wind. 

“Same old life, last of the Time Lords.” He replied, a slight smile plastered onto his features.

“On your own?” Rose half wanted him to say no, but half wanted him to say yes. She knew he wouldn’t do well alone.

The Doctor nodded. No one could replace Rose, or even follow in her footsteps.

-

But then came Martha, strong and powerful and willing to do anything for him. And after her came Donna, sassy but smarter than you’d think. And Amy followed, spunky and loving, Rory trailing behind her, always wanting to keep her safe. River popped in here and then, fluffing that impossible hair of her’s and making some sort of teasing remark. Clara followed suit. He knew they traveled together and she told him something in the cloisters, but nothing else.

 

2.

“You alright?” Donna asked ruefully.

“I’m always alright.” He responded, not missing a beat.

“Is ‘I’m alright’ special Time Lord code for ‘I’m really not alright at all’?” Donna questioned, but didn’t expect an answer. “Because I’m alright too.”

-

The Doctor turned out not to be alright.

He became reckless, traveling all over the place and taking stupid, idiotic risks because there was no one to stop him now. Donna was gone, what did he have to lose? ‘Nothing’. He supposed.

 

3.

The Doctor could tell he wasn’t going to last much longer. 

“It’s okay. Don’t you worry. I’ll remember you.” He insisted, stumbling slightly. Clara could only look at him with tears in her eyes. She could tell he would be the one forgetting, not him.

-

“Clara told me to look after you.” The man explained as The Doctor stood. “She said you might be upset.” The Doctor looked confused. Who was this man and why was he speaking of someone called Clara? Did he know a Clara? The Doctor didn’t think so.

“Clara? Clara who?”

4.

“There is one thing I know, though.” The Doctor began, eyes fixed on Clara’s half smile. He didn’t give her any time to respond. “If I met her again I would absolutely know.”

He watched as Clara’s smile slipped from her face. She turned slightly, wiping a tear from her eye and attempting not to let The Doctor see. He wanted to reach out to her, to ask her if she was okay, but he had a feeling there was something he wasn’t supposed to know. Paradoxes and all that.

-

After letting Me try and figure out how to fly the tardis, Clara slipped down the corridor and let the tears finally run down her cheeks. He didn’t remember her. How could she have been so stupid as to think he actually would?

 

5.

“How do you know me?” River asked curiously. The Doctor was confused. Really, generally confused. He thought she had a photo of his every regeneration. Didn’t she?

“Well, it’s a tiny bit complicated.” Lie. It was much more than a tiny bit complicated, but The Doctor was testing her, seeing how she would react.

River looked like she wasn’t going to respond, so The Doctor continued. “People usually need a flow chart.” He laughed a little, waiting for River to do the same. She didn’t.

“It doesn’t matter.” She snapped. The Doctor’s smile faltered, but only a little. This was typical River. “If either of you use my name again, I will remove your organs in alphabetical order… Any questions?”

The Doctor looked smug. “Which alphabet?”

-

Their relationship was anything but “a little bit complicated.” 

She’d been in jail for killing someone she didn’t actually kill, and he’d ended up marrying his best friend’s daughter that was somehow older than her. Still young, considering Time Lord standards, but Amy was most certainly not 200.

So no, their relationship wasn’t “a little bit complicated.”

 

Truths

1.

“If I believe in one thing, just one thing, I believe in her.” The Doctor had never been more sure about anything ever in his 900 years of time and space. He hoped she’d be okay, and wanted to say so much more, but didn’t think now was the time. Maybe he’d confess his feelings later, when they were safe in the Tardis. Home.

-

When they were reunited it felt like heaven. But The Doctor didn’t say anything close to “I love you.”

 

2.

“He needs you.” The Doctor explained, as much as it hurt to. “That’s very me.” And oh, it was. He needed her too. But she would be happier with his human self, he was sure of that. They could grow old together and he would never have to watch her die, hopefully. And if she did, he wouldn’t have to live on thousands of years after and try hard not to break. His human self could give her everything he couldn’t. 

-

The Doctor never got to check up on her- to see if they were happily married and lived in a house with a big backyard that their little brown eyed children could play in. So he visited her in the past, assuring her she would have “a really great year.” Because she would. He could promise her that much.

 

3.

“They leave. Because they should,” The Doctor began, speaking of Martha. “Or because they find someone else.” This time of Rose. “And some of them… And some of them forget me.” Donna. “And I suppose in the end they break my heart.” 

The not really Doctor looked at him with sympathy. The real Doctor just frowned slightly.

-

The Doctor decided that they all left in the end. Because they did. Amy because of Rory. River because “there is a time to live, and a time to sleep.” He couldn’t remember why Clara left. Maybe it was better that way.

 

4.

“900 years of time and space and I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important.” This was quite possibly the truest thing he’d ever said. Because everyone was important. Rose, Martha, Donna, Amy, Rory, River, Clara, even though he couldn’t quite remember why. The ones who came before and the ones who would come after.

-

Rose was important because she’d saved his life. Martha because she’d saved his life too, though in a much different way. Donna because she’d saved the world, Amy and Rory because of countless reasons that would take an eternity to name. River because she’d saved him as well, multiple times. Clara? Well, he didn’t really know. 

Actually, know that he thought about it more, they ALL were important for many more reasons than that. And everyone else was, too.

 

5.

“Assuming one night is all we’ve got, how long is a night on Darillium?” River asked, tears in her eyes. 

“24 years.” The Doctor said, truthful. Forget rule #1, because this time he didn’t need it. He’d get 24 years with River Song. And maybe, just maybe, 24 years was enough. He smiled at River, watching her expression.

“I hate you.” She breathed.

“No you don’t.” He replied.

-  
And they both lived happily ever after…


End file.
